Fruit-picker.



L. M. RICHARDSON.

FRUIT PICKER.

APPLIGA'LION FILED JULyz, 1912.

Patented June 3, 1913.

atto/mm1@ il 1TH@ SrtES'PATEN'l lilldltl.

LILLIE IVI. RICHARDSON, OF FARMVILLE, VIRGINIA.

FRUIT-PICKER.

recense.

To NZZ 1c/ront 'it muy concern Be it known that I, Liman M. Riemann son. a citizen of the United States, residing at .Farniville, :in the county et lrince .lldward, State ot' Virginia, have invented eertain new and useful improvements in ltrnitlekers; and l do hereby declare the t'ollowing to be a iull, clear, and exact descrip tion oit the invention, such as will enable others skilled in lthe art to which it a pper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to li'ruit pickers.

lhe object oit the invention resides in the provision ot a device oit the character named which will etliciently prevent the bruisingl of :lruit in the gathering ot same, and which will be simple in construction, easy oit oper ation and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

W'ith the abov. and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details o1: con struction and in the arrangement and combination or" parts to be hereinafter more itully described and partici'llarly pointed out :in the appended claims.

ln describing the invention in detail, re l erence will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters oit roterence denote corres])ending parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation oit a ilruit picker constructed in accordance with the invention and with the mouth o1 the fruit receiving bag shown in closed position, Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position oit' the various parts of the device when the mouth of the fruit receiving bag has been operated to open or receiving position, Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of what is shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4L, a front elevation of what is shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings the device is shown as comprising arms 10 and 11 which are pivotally mounted respectively between opposite ends of links 12 and 13. The outer ends of these arms 10 and 11 are normally forced toward each other by means oj a spring 111 disposed between said arms and between said links. Disposed between the forward ends of the arms 10 and 11 is a fruit receiving .tlexible tubular member 15 provided with an outwardly disposed mouth 16. The lips of the mouth 16 are :formed of pivotally connected metallic jaws 17 and 18. while the ren'iainder of the member 15 is Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2, 1912.

coming in contact therewith.

latented Jn11e3,19 l.3.

Serial No. 707,320.

`termed ot a suitable sott flexible material which will not injure or bruise the Ylrnit By this construction it will be apparent that as the cuter ends ol the armsl 10 and 11 are moved away :trom each other against the influence ol the spring 141; the jaws 17 and 1S will be open so that a desired :t'ruit may be received within the member l5, it being ot course un derstood that the member l5 is suitably secured to the outer ends of the arms 1t) and 11 centrally oil the jaws 17 and 18 as at 19 and Qt) respectively. The arm 10 is secured to a handle 21 by means e'l clamps Q2 and QB and said arm and handle are provided with registering openings Qlf and Q5 respee tively. Passing tluough the openings Q11 and Q5 and having one end thereoit secured to the inner end ol the arm ll is au olierating cable 2G through the instrumentality el which the arms 10 and 11 may be operated to open the mouth et the member 'l5 when the device is elevated and disposed in operative position with respect to :l'ruit suspended trom a tree.

lt will be noted that, the jaws 17 and 1S are provided respectively with inwardly directed [langes 27 which may be suitably sharpened so as to constitute cooperating knives adal'ited to engage and sever the stem ot the fruit. lt will be tui-ther noted that the portion of the member 15 adjacent the jaws 17 and 18 is tunnel shape while the remainder otf the member is constituted et a stem E@ o't a size sullirient to permit the passage ot a single t'ruit therethrough. This stem 9.8 is oi sutlieient length to reach to the ground when thc device is being utilized so that as each fruit Ais severed it will pass by gravity through the stem Q8 and be delivered into a suitable basket or receptacle seated upon the ground.

that is claimed is:

1. A -fruit picker comprising a handle, an arm connected to one end of said handle, a pair of links having corresponding ends pivotally connected to said arm on opposite sides et the latter respectively, a second arm pivotally mounted between the other end ol' said links, spring means constantly tending to force the ends ot the arms remote :from the handle toward each other, a flexible tubular member provided with a mouth disposed between said arms and having opposite sides thereof secured to the ends ot' the 2. A fruit picker comprising a handle, an

arm connected to one end of said handle, a pair of links having corresponding ends pivotally connected to said arm on opposite sides of the latter respectively, a second arm pivetally mounted between the other ends of said links, spring means constantly tending to'force the ends of the arms remote from the handle toward each other, a liexible tubular member provided with a mouth disposed between said arms and having opposite sides thereof secured to the ends of the arms remote from the handle respectively whereby the movement of said ends of the arms toward and away from each other will close and open said mouth, a pair oi pivoted jaws mounted in the mouth of the member and constituting the lips of `said mouth, inwardly directed flanges on said jaws adapted to cooperate with each other when closed upon the stem of a fruit to sever said stem and means for moving the ends of the arms remote from the handle away from each other against the influence of said spring means.

3. A fruit picker comprising a handle, an arm connected to one end of said handle, a pair of links having corresponding ends pivotally connected to said arm on opposite sides of the latter respectively, a second arm pivotally mounted between the other ends of said links, spring means constantly tending to force the ends of the arms remote from the handle toward each other, a flexible tubular member provided with a month disposed between said arms and having opposite sides of its mouth secured to the ends of the arms remote from the handle respectively whereby the movement et said ends ot the arms toward and away Jfrom each other will close and open said meuth, an extensien on the inner end ot said memberl having a relatively small diameter, and means fer moving the ends of the arms remote from the handle away from each other against the influence of said spring means.

1n testimony whereof, l atx my signature, in presence of two witnesses,

LILLE M. RCHRDSON.

'Vitnesses W. M. DUVALL, E. P. DAHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

